Rolling

The same principle of making the dough with slightly softened butter applies to rolling the pie dough: pull the dough out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you wish to roll it and you’ll find it rolls easily, with little cracking. In fact, because it rolls so easily and quickly, you’ll be exercising those glutens less, ensuring a tender pastry.

Think about it in the way you butter toast: If you try to spread cold butter on your toast, what happens? It cracks and breaks, it’s hard to manage, and you tear your toast in the process. And if you spread slightly softened butter? It spreads easily and evenly, and your toast remains intact.